Weick Photo of 2003 Tbird

[Watchdevil]

Okay what is the light colored "dot" behind the wheel opening on the fender of the 2003 Tbird? Anyone have access to the high resolution photos to see what it is?
http://www.wieck.com/public/*2PV_040053

[tbird]

http://osx.wieck.com/pv/WKA/2002/07/22/WKA2002072229571_pv.jpg

Guess-V-8 Emblem?



[This message has been edited by tbird (edited 07-22-2002).]

[Watchdevil]

Originally posted by tbird:

Guess-V-8 Emblem?

[This message has been edited by tbird (edited 07-22-2002).]


Yeah I was wondering too if that is what it could be.. a V8 emblem... I wonder if it is the same one lifted off the Explorer that is supposed to be done in retro styled lettering.. I think I remember some time ago reading a posting from someone from this forum wanting to do that with his new Tbird.

As long as it is not one of those god awful fender mounted turn signals! Thankfully, the new trend is to incorporate them into the side view mirrors... At least that way they do not ruin a perfectly good fender..

[This message has been edited by Watchdevil (edited 07-22-2002).]

[This message has been edited by Watchdevil (edited 07-23-2002).]

[HeelBird]

I'd suppose it's one of those turn-signal indicator lights like some of the Euro's have. Nice idea, if you aren't going to add signal mirrors.

[Watchdevil]

Originally posted by HeelBird:
I'd suppose it's one of those turn-signal indicator lights like some of the Euro's have. Nice idea, if you aren't going to add signal mirrors.

NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! They can't ruin a good fender! It has to be some sort of insignia...

BTW Heelbird.. Hello there in Kinston.. I have immediate family there!

[Watchdevil]

I got to thinking even more about that insignia that I cannot make out... could it also be one of those red, white and blue Ford sheilds.. the 1955 Tbird certainly had them.. There was also a recent edition of the Crown Victoria which had them on the fenders as well... I can totally see this being featured on the new Tbird as sort of a retro FORD trademark insignia... I still think the sheild is more associated with the Crown Victoria.. but they were used on all Fords back in the day...

[HeelBird]

Agreed, WD...the light would be better if it were a signal mirror. A retro Ford crest would be neat, but care indeed needs to be given to keep from spoiling the flow of the lines.

Hey back to the Queen City. Who are your folks here? Maybe I know them.

[tbird]

Here is your answer. BTW I have the high resolution image at http://www.fordthunderbirdforum.com/2003thunderbird.asp
http://www.fordthunderbirdforum.com/images/v8_emblem.jpg

[T02 Bird]

I don't notice the chrome strip mentioned before. Did they do away with that idea?

T-Bird, can you maybe enhance the deck area to see if they did anything to solve the paint problem?

Thanks,

KB

[kenrhack]

TBIRD:
Now we have to get the Part # for the front fender V-8 insignia. Of course, I'll have to get a set for my Yellow Premium. Great job on the identification!

------------------
T'BIRD RUNNER

[tbird]

Originally posted by kenrhack:
TBIRD:
Now we have to get the Part # for the front fender V-8 insignia. Of course, I'll have to get a set for my Yellow Premium. Great job on the identification!




FYI...It looks like the exact same emblem that was on the V8 AWD Mercury Mountaineer or something. I forgot now, but it is recycled for sure!

[This message has been edited by tbird (edited 07-23-2002).]

[leisha]

There is a T-Bird at Wixom at a station called 'learning lab'. It has the same V8 insignia in the same spot. Looks like the 2003 will have the insignia. It isn't classic, just a standard V8, as shown in the previous high resolution picture.
A bunch of us are going to Wixom on Aug 12/02. Will let you all know if we see any 2003's.
One frequent question when people eye the car is 'what kind of engine? or is it a V8?. I solved that problem, my custom plate is...
T BIRD V8

[leisha]

The picture of the 007 t Bird from Detroit news does not show the Chrome strip where the top fits either.
Possibly Ford cancelled the idea rather than have to deal with retrofitting our 2002's.
If anyone sees any 2003's at Wixom please keep us informed.
I kind of liked the V8 logo with the 8 inside the V, like on the Expedition.
Anyone note any other changes?

[leisha]

The picture of the 007 T Bird from Detroit News does not show the Chrome strip where the top fits either.
Possibly Ford cancelled the idea rather than have to deal with retrofitting our 2002's.
If anyone sees any 2003's at Wixom please keep us informed.
I kind of liked the V8 logo with the 8 inside the V, like on the Expedition.
Anyone note any other changes?

[thaser]

I may be in the minority, but I'm very glad the 2002s don't have the V8 logo on the front fender. I couldn't care less if other people think I'm driving a 6-cylinder vehicle or whatever. The people I care about -- the ones sitting in the passenger seat -- will know it's a V8 we get on the road! The 2002 is simply gorgeous -- and a lot of that has to do with its uncluttered look.

tbird, outstanding job on the identification. Mystery solved!

[RT42]

V8 ugggg could be an ad for veggie juice, glad I have an '02

[TBirdBoy]

Look closer at the high res pic...you can see the chrome strip on the deck lid.

------------------
Premium Black w/Red partial
VIN - 1FAHP60AX2Y113877
sq#4044
build #14004
Delivered 3/29/02
2000 Chrysler Sebring Conv.
1988 Pontiac Fiero Formula

[tbird]

I don't know, what do you think?


http://www.thunderbirdforum.com/images/zoom_deck_lid.jpg

[This message has been edited by tbird (edited 08-02-2002).]

[brd4jk]

i dont know about everyone else the V8 looks good but personally i would like to have the chrome strip. it would look good on my black from what i can tell with this pic thanks tbird!

[Watchdevil]

Originally posted by leisha:
The picture of the 007 T Bird from Detroit News does not show the Chrome strip where the top fits either.
Possibly Ford cancelled the idea rather than have to deal with retrofitting our 2002's.
If anyone sees any 2003's at Wixom please keep us informed.
I kind of liked the V8 logo with the 8 inside the V, like on the Expedition.
Anyone note any other changes?

That "chrome" strip still looks like lighting highlights on a black strip to me.. But chrome would be nice there. It is worth noting that the new 2003 VW Beetle Convertible coming out this fall will have a chrome strip along the entire belt line which wraps around the rear to the other side.

I agree.. I think I would like the V inside the 8 better for the V8 insignia.. That's how the 1955 was.. but much more stylized. It looks more authentic and classic.. However I am not sure the placement of the new V8 emblem is in the right place.. They used to be behind the upper fender vent extractor.. but it now comes all the way to the door opening. It could be placed in front and look okay I think.. But I think it just looks kind of dimminutive and misplaced in the area where it is located in that vast expanse of otherwise clean lower fender surface.. Ford has always had a nasty habit on modern vehicles to not balance emblems correctly in placement in relation to body features such as accent lines, wheel opeings, door gaps, etc..

Yeah, I can imagine this day and time to get people to realize there is a V8 under the hood of a Tbird you have to put some identification on the car for bragging rights.. maybe because the car looks smaller than it is that maybe it is natural for people to assume it may still have a V6 engine. The Thunderbird has also had 6 cylinder engines standard since 1980 and up to 1997 a V6 Tbird seemed to be more common and the average person with little sense of classic Tbird history doesn't really know that Tbirds originally came with V8's standard. Now with a car like a Corvette, there is no question that it has a V8 because it always did have one.. but you have to retrain people's perception these days because many people were not around to know that a Tbird used to have only V8's.. Plus there is that Prowler and PT Cruiser factor that works in because people *know* these retro cars have the classic looks but a wimpy engine... I bet there are some people that think the new Tbird is a FWD car based on a Taurus platform.. Oh lord help us if there is!

I think what hurts the Tbird's image into making people think it is a V6 and not a V8 is lack of attention to some of the styling details of which none really hint or suggest that the car has a reasonably powerful V8 engine.. The exhaust tips are not agressive looking enough, all the wheels look so "deluxe" in both painted silver and chrome with looks like common plastic wheel cover designs instead of appearing to have fine performance machined styling.. They also have offsets that make them look like front wheel drive wheels which also doesn't help the car's perception that might have a standard V6 engine and FWD. There is also a need for refined elegance which a radial turbine spoke design could provide or a modern interpetation of a wire spoked theme in an alloy wheel design.

An example of better detailing certainly is that gunmetal gray Tbird concept roadster with the burnt sienna interior. The simple chrome styled road wheels with spinners "rock".. I like the additional chrome and more authentic detail and I think the new Tbird should have a few more pieces of it.. Just an example of how chrome still sells more cars.. the 1998-early 2001 VW Passat had no chrome anywhere on the body except for emblems.. The Passat was facelifted for 2001.5 and it got chrome detail around the windows, grille trim and body side mouldings.. the car is selling like crazy now because people percieve it to have a more uplevel quality look to it.. So I also believe with a car like the Tbird it would benefit the perceived quality to feature more chrome detailing in appropriate places.. But NOT TOO MUCH! It has to stay at least as clean as the 1955-57.. Chrome lends a finshed "framed" look.. Does a picture look better taped to a wall or in an attractive picture frame?

Some of the styling cues could use more detail and development.. I would certainly like to see some more detail in the taillamps.. and what I mean by detail, just look at how some of the new taillamps on other cars are done.. they have these brillant chrome bezels with detailing and then they are covered entirely with a clear red lens.. Look at the new Cadillac CTS and you will notice only up close the upper taillamp section is a round projector style which mimicks the headlamps.. Then there is that Nissan Altima.. Though I do not care for the clear lenses with chrome on any vehicle.. I do like the round red lens by itself and the way it dispurses light in a starburst effect.. Kinda reminds me of the round lamps old Fords used to have in the late 50's and early 60's... The thing is for the taillamps on the Tbird to have that afterburner look as they were originally modelled after aircraft turbine jet engines. To be honest the lenses on the new Tbird look no better than what can be detailed for use in a scale model car kit.. This is such an important feature of the Tbird that it deserves more detail.. along with some better detailed headlamps to match.. I still don't care much for the turn lamps integrated into the bottom because it breaks up that completely circular look.. same with the back up lamps... Still if you look at the new Tbird it distinctly has that classic projectile theme which looks like it has long jet tubes that runs from the headlamps to the taillamps.

Anyway, this morning while making a parts run there was a yellow Tbird making a turn at the stop light.. it looks so amazing like nothing else on the road.. It has a grand presence that certainly commands attention.

Emblem placements:

1955 - Ford Crest emblem with crossed checkered flags on nose and tail, "V" inside "8" emblem behind front fender air exctractors which incorporate a stylized bird with wings folded upward to follow the bottom of the "V".
"Thunderbird" script is on both sides of car at the top rear fenders above the character line that runs rearward to the top of the taillamps. Small Ford Crest emblems appear on each side of the hardtop in the lower front corners next to the side windows. The Ford Crests also appear in the wheel cover centers.


1956 - Ford Crest emblems ane relocated from the hardtop and replace the "V8" emblems on the fenders. The Ford Crest with crossflags is replaced front and rear with a horizontal turqoise accented "bird in flight" with the Thunderbird script in the center. The Ford Crests still appear in the wheel cover centers.

1957 - The Ford Crests are removed from behind the fender extractors and the "Thunderbird" side scripts are relocated from the rear quarter panels to in front of the front fender air extractors.

[Watchdevil]

Originally posted by HeelBird:
Agreed, WD...the light would be better if it were a signal mirror. A retro Ford crest would be neat, but care indeed needs to be given to keep from spoiling the flow of the lines.

Hey back to the Queen City. Who are your folks here? Maybe I know them.

Do you know any Freeman's, Robinson's, Gray's, or Harper's? I am also related to some Sutton's as my Great Grandfather was adopted and that was his birth family. I have several cousins who all live on farm land along one of the main highways. Most of them are well into their 60's and above now not counting their children and grand children. One of my cousins got involved with running the "infamous" stinky pig farm and before that he was a well known State Trooper. My Grandmother on my Mom's side was born in Pink Hill.. Her brothers and sisters grew up on a tobacco farm. My Grandma's oldest sister had a great little house on a piece of farm land and it was so tranquil there sittin on her front porch facing the main highway. She used to make fabulous "pastry".. and you should know what "pastry" is.. YUM!

[Watchdevil]

Originally posted by tbird:
Here is your answer. BTW I have the high resolution image at http://www.fordthunderbirdforum.com/2003thunderbird.asp



Thanks for posting the Hi-res image.. I cannot view the entire thing as I am not a member of the restricted pages yet..

[This message has been edited by Watchdevil (edited 07-23-2002).]

[tbird]

You can become a member @ http://www.fordthunderbirdforum.com/become_a_member.htm

If we can get some new contributing members this week I will buy a top notch photo album add on for the site and install it on the server for the members. It has these features:

User Features
User Area where a user can edit Albums and edit their contact info
Users can register themselves. Their registration is verified by sending them an email with a validation code. One the email is received received they must come back to the site to validate their account. This reduces the amount of junk users in your system.

Email Album to a friend function
Reply to Album without giving out user email
Edit Albums
Remove Albums
Number of times viewed per Album feature
Search
Upload 15 Pictures per Album.
Create an unlimited number of Albums
Forgotten password lookup feature
User to User Email Message system
Favorite Albums Feature
Much much more....


[This message has been edited by tbird (edited 07-23-2002).]

[Watchdevil]

Originally posted by thaser:
I may be in the minority, but I'm very glad the 2002s don't have the V8 logo on the front fender. I couldn't care less if other people think I'm driving a 6-cylinder vehicle or whatever. The people I care about -- the ones sitting in the passenger seat -- will know it's a V8 we get on the road! The 2002 is simply gorgeous -- and a lot of that has to do with its uncluttered look.

tbird, outstanding job on the identification. Mystery solved!

I think there will also be many people taking the V8 emblem off for a cleaner uncluttered look. I also think the novelty will wear off for some people who add them and they may end up removing them anyway.

If I had to add the V8 emblems I would place them in a more authentic location like in front of the fender extractors...

After years of looking at fabulously detailed classic Tbirds, I can certainly understand the desire and need to personalize a new Tbird a bit with things that remind us of the fine details of the glorious past. Certainly the new Tbird helps remind us of simpler happier times while being totally modern in execeution.

Car's generally only use V8 identification if the base cars of the same body style have a 6 cylinder.. Witness the original Mustang with the 289 badges. That let everyone know the ordinary looking Mustang had a bigger more powerful engine. This bragging and badging reached it's highlight in 1969 with the Boss 429, etc... Of course later this boasting dissapeared in the 1970's with all the weak engines.. 1979 brought us the 5.0 badged Mustang.. but it had no meaning until 1982 when the new Mustang GT was reborn with a more powerful V8 than standard.. But the HP of the 1982 GT is now laughable by today's standards.

Also, the V8 insignia was of course used way back when Henry Ford started using V8's to set them apart from lesser powered vehicles and to boast bragging rights to his competition.

Some car manufacterers are now de-emphisizing brag badging.. many of the new VW's no longer come with 1.8T badges for the 4 cylinder turbo cars.. nor do the VR6 engines boast VR6 replacing them ith V6 instead.. They don't want their customers to attract attention of insurance companies for fear of unfairly higher insurance rates because of a perception of these cars being a "performance" vehicle. Also, many customers prefer to remain conservative and anonymous from other drivers who might encourage "competition" at every stop light.

[Watchdevil]

Originally posted by RT42:
V8 ugggg could be an ad for veggie juice, glad I have an '02

I think it would look better with a V12 badge on the front. ;)

Of course that would mean a real V12 engine. "Dream on silly dreamer"

VW uses a brag badge with a "W8" to boast it's compact innovative first and new 8 cylinder design. Next year VW is coming out with a large luxury car with both the W8 and W12 engine designs.. Ford is going to need to step up to the plate here in the premium luxury market.. There is no reason the Tbird and Lincoln brands cannot be further refined into something even more sophisticated at least optionally to maintain a flagship image for the Motor Company... We have the VW Phaeton coming AND Cadillac is considering a V12 powered "FTS" large RWD luxury sedan..

[jboriott]

Anyone know if/where I can get some of the Vintage (55-57) logos. Seems like it might be cool to get these for the fenders.

(Plus, this kinda customization can easily be removed - right!?!)

[uber]

larrystbird.com

I think the part you want is less than $15!

[HeelBird]

WD,

Definitely know what "pastry" is---one of my brothers-in-law is from Guilford County, and having grown up in the hoi polloi culture does not know the difference between pastry and dumplings, but that's another matter altogether!

I'm from the Pink Hill end of Lenoir County, (Southwood section-Vine Swamp to be more precise), so I know Robinsons and Suttons. Probably know some of your folks.

For some reason, I'm thinking that the corvette originally debuted as a 6 cylinder (without rollup side windows). I must've dreamed that Ford used that as a sales tool when the Bird came along--Y-8 engine and rollup (even power assisted) side glass, making it far more advanced than the first chevrolet offering.

[leisha]

You are right about the vette having a 6 cyl in the original model.
Vette freaks, a legend in their own minds!
They still figure vettes always had the strongest V8's. Let's not burst their bubble and let them live with their heads in the clouds!

[metinsure]

It looks like a Tbird emblem to me

[Jim L]

I'll tell you what,as soon as the chrome strips are available I'll get them for my yellow. I'm not sure if I would want the chrome accent on a black car but on a yellow it won't be much of an eye sore, if any, and will solve the paint problem

[Watchdevil]

Originally posted by HeelBird:
WD,

Definitely know what "pastry" is---one of my brothers-in-law is from Guilford County, and having grown up in the hoi polloi culture does not know the difference between pastry and dumplings, but that's another matter altogether!

I'm from the Pink Hill end of Lenoir County, (Southwood section-Vine Swamp to be more precise), so I know Robinsons and Suttons. Probably know some of your folks.

For some reason, I'm thinking that the corvette originally debuted as a 6 cylinder (without rollup side windows). I must've dreamed that Ford used that as a sales tool when the Bird came along--Y-8 engine and rollup (even power assisted) side glass, making it far more advanced than the first chevrolet offering.

Ya know what? Silly me.. I forgot the Corvette came originally with the Blue Flame Six.. but then again I am not supposed to be paying attention to Corvettes...

The Robinson's and Sutton's.. yes indeed you know some of my family then. My Maw and Granny are headed there this coming weekend for a visit.. They asked me to go but they want to go on Friday early and I have to work.. so bummer.. It's been a few years since I have visited Kinston.

[Watchdevil]

Originally posted by leisha:
I kind of liked the V8 logo with the 8 inside the V, like on the Expedition.
Anyone note any other changes?

I saw a new Explorer today with the "8" inside the "V" emblem on the tailgate.. I really like the way the letter and number is transposed on one another. The look was a classic style font.. So I am holding to the opinion that the "8" inside the "V" looks better than the side by side "V8" configuration.